Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09

1 tiic IdSC anu Tie company go 10
| Baltimore to play two weeks engagement after
which they Will return to Washington and reopen
at the National with Nell Gwynne," a repeti-
ton of a Night in Venice" When the company
returns here IL will be stronger than ever
| kERNANS.-A laughable burleSQue Of the "Mi-
kado," together with an attractive program of
rietteS, will be given at this theater next week by
the GrieVeS Company.
The Electric Light Question.
ARE TIE WIRES EXTRAORDINARILY PRESIDENT
NoRMENT SAYS ON THE SUBJECT-THE INTENTIONS
OF THE COMPANY.
Our reporter called on Mr.. Samuel Norment, pres
idenr OF the U. S. Electric Lighting Company, yes
terday, and asked him If he had any statement to
make in relation to the recent complaint of the
fire department against the use OF bare electric
wires Mr.. NOrment said: 1--WE have two systems
OF electric lighting. Our ordinary small sized wire
for arc lighting is always insulated as 1t carries
very powerful current, and, under certain con-
ditOns, might be dangerous, although some of our
men get shocks from these wires daily, and don t
mind it, Our system, for which we use large bare
WIRES Is for 1ncandeSCent lighting only. The cur
rent run over these wires, far power is con-
cerned, Is entirely different from the arc current,
fnaSmuch as 1t has potential OF only ITO volts,
which Is about One-twentieth of that used for arc
lighting and One-half that used for ordinary tel
egraphing purposes. 1t is OF perfectly harm
less, and babe could, with perfect safety take
the entire current. While admire the vigilance
of the officers Of the various departments under the
commissioners (hay1ng myself been Commits
sioner OF Police for many years. yet word care
leSSly spoken or an order hastily given, without a
the parties interested, might Internationally do
great detrtment TO a large and important business
enterprise, without which our city would be far
behind all the other large cities throughout the
country" "Are incandescent wires in other cities
usually bare ?" asked the reporter. "Always" was
tns reply: ~I II are In general use In Boston,
1t Is not necesSary-1n fact 1t Is not practicable
TO 1nsulate 1ncandescent mains upon poles 1t is
enter buildings that we tnsulate them. This is
also done with the telegraph and telephone lines {"
"Are you contemplating putting any lines under
ground?" was the next inquiry. To this MIR. Nor
ment answered ayes; we are anxious to adopt
some practicable and permanent underground sys-
TEN, and have already expended many thousands
OF dollars I'm attempting do so: We laid cables on
street. and subsequently had to abandon them
again we brought an expert from Europe at a
vania avenue, and after few months service they
began giving Out, and we have already dug I'D the
must do so again in a few days, az the cables are
continually giving out. Our general manager
Mr.. Renshaw, reports that no underground cables
carrying a pressure OF 1000 volts have, as yet,
been made to work successfully for any length OF
time by any company In the world, and there Is a
dO %} HOWL can De na by any
trying. 1t will cost US a large amount OF money
and We have no assurance that we Will be success
ful; but we are working in good faith and will
take the chances"
''win you be interrupted in completing your
incandescent lines?" asked the reporter.
"We do not expect to be, replied Mr.. Norment.
"The District commissioners are gentlemen OF
good Judgment, and thoroughly investigate all
important matters brought before them They
have IN their engineer department gentlemen who
are acquainted with scientific matters OF this kind
and we have every confidence that the public and
our rights will be protected"
AS matter OF vital public interest the reporter
inquired: "Can the tncandescent lights be fur
nished at low rates."
Eyes, was Mr.. Moments reply "It is our inten-
ton TO introduce superior light at popular
price. and we shall spare no expense to make it
acceptable All we ask Of the public is fair
chance and little patience, and we shall not long
remain behind any other important city in the
Say ami emSeb % 40 more
other improvement has ever done. The men COM
posing this company are not spectators, but are
entered the company with their means and brains,
for the legitimate development OF much-needed
commercial business. We have carefully adopted
the best and most comprehensive system OF arc
and tncandescent lighting known to the world. In
building the new plant, at the corner OF 13H and
besides the 100000 capital heretofore expended
we have spared no pains or means to make this q
productive industry-one that will stand upon a
safe and secure baSiS-and the new plant will be a
model OF Its Kind to be found nowhere else In this
country. BY the way" he added, at Is surpass-
1ngiy strange what fear some people have OF these
low-tention wires for incandescent purposes The
absolute truth Is that fewer accidents from electric
lighting plants have occurred, when we consider
the extent OF the Servtce-fewer, in fact than in
any industry employing like number Of men To
sum the whole matter up, the main points are
simply these: IncandeScent lights use an electric
current Of large volume and low tension perfectly
| harmless to life, and involving no other lncOn-
venience or danger than the presence Of the wire
Itself. Arc lights call for currents OF high poten-
tial or tension, and II uninsulated would be dan
gerous. These we propose to put under ground at
| complaint has been made are for incandescent
currents, and are harmless"
THE WHITE House GROUNDS CoycERr.-The nro.
gram Tor the Marine Band concert at the White
House grounds at 8 80 p. m. to-day is as follows:
First, polonaise, "In Echelon" Sousa: second a
collection OF Mendelsohn's songs without words:
thlrd, trombone solo, THE STAR" Bagey, Harry
S,one io9 i yalSe Carotta" Milocksr; NTH
TURK" Mozart; seventh, ''Ten Minutes With the
Minstreis," Bomron.
JUDGE HAGNER ON BUSINESS MEN As JURORS
Judge Hagner, in Circuit Court No. 2, to-day dis
charged the jurors not engaged In the Shipman-
fietcnSr case Tor the term. He rendered them the
thanks OF the court and remarked that he hoped
that those who were engaged In business had
iound that the performance OF jury duty had not
| incommoded them. The law required the services
OF the best citizens for jury duty and the very fact
that they We're successful business men was a
| 70 be excused because of their engagements the
cour: would have to call in partieswho could not
they were calle1 on TO perform fury duty they
would Sheerfuly comply and give their services TO
TWO men CHARGED WITH RoBBING BoorBLAcK.
| Last night Officers Rogers and Easely arrested q
coiored man named VIM. Brown, who Is charged.
with Lincoln Cole, With larceny from the person.
~ Is alleged that Brown and Cole, both full-grown
| men, robbed q cOlored boy bOOtblack named John
Thomas on the Fourth OF July, The robbery Is
charged TO have occurred near New Hampshire
avenue ana 9 street, where, 1t Is alleged, one OF
Saem neio the 00y while the other took S1S5 from
his pockets. To-day in the Police Court the
| charge against Brown was continued until Wed.
nesoay, by which time the officers expect 70 catch
| the other person charged.
DKLRGArKs CHOSEN By REUNION PRIsoNRRs-
Inc eiectlon OF delegates from the District Assoca
tlon OF Union eX-pnSOnerS OF war; to the national
meeting at Chicago, september 2 and f. tool
1 place last night The following named delegates
were CHOSEN: I. II. Mckee, s. Z. Thomson L p
Williams. n. T.. Anderson and Charles p. Lincoln
1 alternateS, L. A. Lfttleneld W. II norton AdolDE